8-Year-Old Gets 'Catastrophe Award' for Most Homework Excuses. How would you react as a parent?

Black_Samson

The mother of an 8-year-old Arizona girl who was presented with a "Catastrophe Award" for apparently having the most excuses for not having homework believes her child was humiliated by her teacher.

Christina Valdez said her daughter, Cassandra Garcia, came home one day from class at Desert Springs Academy in Tucson, Ariz., with the paper award.

The document, which looks like a colorful card, contained the following message: "You're Tops! Catastrophe Award. Awarded to Cassandra Garcia. For Most Excuses for Not Having Homework."

The teacher signed the card "Ms. Plowman," added the date - May 18, 2012 - and even included a smiley face.

The teacher announced the award in front of the entire class, and the other students laughed at her daughter, Valdez said in a Thursday interview with ABC TV affiliate KGUN-TV in Tucson.

When she contacted the school to complain, the principal "blew me off," Valdez added. "She said it was a joke that was played and that the teachers joke around with the children."

But Valdez told KGUN that she didn't find any of it funny.

"I think it's cruel and no child should be given an award like this. It's disturbing," she said, adding that she was not aware her daughter had a problem with homework, and that the girl had been enrolled in an after-school homework assistance program.

Desert Springs Academy's principal declined to comment to a KGUN reporter, the affiliate reported.

Black_Samson

child is 8, yet the MOM didn't know about the homework issue.
someone isn't doing homework with their 8 year old child.

fiat_money

Good for her yo.

Congrats to the kid.

I did my homework like a sucka in school.


SMH @ Not even being able to give a student an honest award these days though.

Bitches stay complaining.

Sage Wonder

I wish I could have received an acknowledgement for all the days I spent in recess detention for lack of homework participation. That shit takes dedication to throw your recess time away.

Shizlansky

Momma fault.

Black_Samson

if i brought that shit home as a kid, i would have been Brogue Kicked...

Gucci Scott King

DNB1

My son clever enough to drop that certificate in the trash before he get home and act like it never happened, and threaten any of his team that dared mention it round me or his mama.

This kid was dumb.

mdcu16

I think the parent was more embarrassed than the child... She should be. How does an 8 year old not complete her homework without the parent knowing?

kai_valya

somebody doesn't seem like an involved/hands on parent

1of1

Bitch is fat

Amotekun

Teacher was trill. Woulda been extra special had she stapled a Kmart app on the back of it.
"Good Luck in your Future Endeavors.'

J-GUTTA

mdcu16 wrote: »

I think the parent was more embarrassed than the child... She should be. How does an 8 year old not complete her homework without the parent knowing?

Mom was probably to busy getting ready to go out. Shit even with my parents not speaking much English when I was in elementary school my parents knew there was no way in hell I didn't have homework.

dallas' 4 eva

@J-GUTTA - Bro you gone need to put names of these girls in yo sig cause once again I gotta ask who the fuck is that? lol

I seen this shit yesterday when it was posted, mama fucking fault. If she wasn't so concerned with going out to shake her fucking ass at the club she would know her daughter is fucking up in school.

J-GUTTA

dallas' 4 eva wrote: »

@J-GUTTA - Bro you gone need to put names of these girls in yo sig cause once again I gotta ask who the fuck is that? lol

I seen this shit yesterday when it was posted, mama fucking fault. If she wasn't so concerned with going out to shake her fucking ass at the club she would know her daughter is fucking up in school.

see below or above which ever way you want to look at it.

mdcu16

J-GUTTA wrote: »

mdcu16 wrote: »

I think the parent was more embarrassed than the child... She should be. How does an 8 year old not complete her homework without the parent knowing?

Mom was probably to busy getting ready to go out. Shit even with my parents not speaking much English when I was in elementary school my parents knew there was no way in hell I didn't have homework.

Right, my parents were young but checked my assignment folder and homework faithfully

The Lonious Monk

SMH, this chick was probably really looking for sympathy. How was the kid humiliated anyway? It's not like she didn't know she wasn't doing her homework, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the class also knew it. She's 8 years old. What's that, like 2nd grade? There is no good reason for her not to have been doing her homework.

RawAce

wait, the teacher's name is Ms. Plowman

wow

she could never teach HS

black caesar

As fucked up as the teacher was, the parent should had been on her job.

The Lonious Monk

black caesar wrote: »

As fucked up as the teacher was, the parent should had been on her job.

I really don't see where the teacher was all that fucked up. Seems to me she was just trying to make light of an ongoing theme throughout the year. I can remember teachers joking around with us like that when we were coming up. People are so soft nowadays. They want to cause an international incident over every little thing.

MsSouthern

As a parent I would be completely embarassed. And YES it is her mother's fault for not being involved with her kids schooling.

But the teacher is DEAD WRONG... that is a horrible award to give a child. If it was my child I would still have issues with it and be talking to the principal about the teachers actions.

No excuse for the teacher's behavior ... at all

The Lonious Monk

Ms Southern wrote: »

As a parent I would be completely embarassed. And YES it is her mother's fault for not being involved with her kids schooling.

But the teacher is DEAD WRONG... that is a horrible award to give a child. If it was my child I would still have issues with it and be talking to the principal about the teachers actions.

No excuse for the teacher's behavior ... at all

That's way too sensitive a reaction IMO. What world are you raising your child to live in because this little joke is very mild in comparison to a lot of things she's going to come against in her life. Do you really want to teach your child to fly off the handle for every little off color thing that's done or said to her? I don't think the teacher was really trying to be mean spirited with this. Again, it seemed like it was a common theme that popped up through the year, and she was just poking fun at it. I'm willing to bet the kid didn't even have a problem with it. She probably didn't even think anything was wrong until she got home and the mother had a fit.

Not to mention that what the article doesn't state was whether or not this award was unique. It's possible that multiple joke awards of that nature were given out and it was basically a fun little thing done in the class and not a specific jab at this particular student.

MsSouthern

talking to an adminstrator is not flying off the handle. It's called the chain of command.


to me it is a form of being a bully... a teacher calling an 8 yr old out in front of her peers is unacceptable and not professional at all

if the child was making fun of another student ... she would be in trouble at school. Why is this any different?

I'm not excusing the mom's role in all of this..... but that's a different issue.

caddo man

Ms Southern wrote: »

talking to an adminstrator is not flying off the handle. It's called the chain of command.


to me it is a form of being a bully... a teacher calling an 8 yr old out in front of her peers is unacceptable and not professional at all

if the child was making fun of another student ... she would be in trouble at school. Why is this any different?

I'm not excusing the mom's role in all of this..... but that's a different issue.

I have to agree with this. If you have a problem with homework for a 8 year old, take it up with the parent. Lord knows doing homework with my son was a chore and a half. If I missed a day. His teacher wrote it on the evaluation for the week. Got my attention immediately.

Now on the other hand, yeah, The momma slipping. How the hell you dont know your 8 yo child aint doing homework? i learned at a early age when your child say they dont have homework make them do something. That hour will be used for something creative.

dallas' 4 eva

@MsSouthern - Real talk though the mother should appreciate the fact the teacher at least NOTICED the fact that her child was fucking up. A lot of teachers give no fucks and are there for a paycheck.

And how is that a form of being a bully? Explain please.

The Lonious Monk

Ms Southern wrote: »

talking to an adminstrator is not flying off the handle. It's called the chain of command.


to me it is a form of being a bully... a teacher calling an 8 yr old out in front of her peers is unacceptable and not professional at all

if the child was making fun of another student ... she would be in trouble at school. Why is this any different?

I'm not excusing the mom's role in all of this..... but that's a different issue.

Flying off the handle is making an issue out of this to begin with. It's nothing.

And kids poke and joke with each other all the time. They do not always get in trouble for that. It's all about context. If it was a case where the teacher, made it a point to humiliate this child in front of her peers, then I'd agree. But I don't think that's what happened here. Sounds like they were just doing a "year in review" type thing giving out silly awards. Again, the fact that she did this means it was a theme throughout the year that everybody already knew about. It was probably something that had been mentioned earlier as a concern, and at this point with the year ending, the teacher was making light of it.

To me, if you raise a child to be sensitive about something this trivial, then you're prepping them for a rough life, cause shit will only get harsher as they get older.